This Saturday we took an outing to the Strip District, a lively food-related shopping neighborhood in Pittsburgh. We explored the public market, full of local artisanal vendors, and a lot of the fun shops along Penn Avenue. Everyone smiled as we passed–the woman selling glitter tattoos, the two women in the woodworking shop, a pair of grandparents who watched, amused, as we took turns alternately holding both babies and visiting the restroom (a challenge).
In New York, taking the babies on the subway required carrying them up and down dozens of flights of stairs, getting tired before we reached the destination. Or carrying the strollers up and down stairs. Same problem. Or alternately taking a car service–other challenges. Our car has changed the equation. We put the babies, the Ergos, and the diaper bag in the car and drove to the Strip District. We strapped them on and were already there, ready to go. While out we decided to buy a gallon of olive oil, a bottle of red wine vinegar, a bottle of wine, and six doughnuts. And a bottle of water. And some ham and cheese deli slices. And some anisette biscotti (yum). Don’t ask how we managed to lug all that plus two twenty-pound babies back to the car. We almost made it except for dropping the bottle of vinegar right outside the store as we were leaving (it ripped through the bag), which cracked in shards and smelled like a stink bomb. Oops. But the store owner was nice enough to replace the bottle free of charge. I think the babies make us more sympathetic.
We realized it was really the first time since the babies were born that we’d gone out on a Saturday just for the heck of it. I can sort of remember, back before the babies, when we used to visit galleries, or a museum, or the farmer’s market on a lazy Saturday. Life is beginning to feel slightly more normal. A new normal, that is.
Space Monkey Twins 
Ahhh…life before babies… lucky the vinegar didn’t break in your car.
Ha. That is true. That would have been beyond nasty.
I am curious. I so thought the subway in NY would have a lift? I can’t imagine how hard it must have been!
You would think, but New York is a funny place. One hundred year old plus subway system. There are lifts at some stations, but never the ones you’re going to.
Oh my, the babies do make your more sympathetic lol. Sounds like you had a good day despite breaking vinegar.
That’s true. It felt incredibly good to get out a bit.
Bright side its the perks of having twins! Hehehe 🙂
I guess so!
It feels so good to get back out there! I’m with you. On the slim chance we go to a ‘real’ restaurant for a meal, babies in tow, we always say,”Do you remember when we used to do this all the time?”
I know, lately I am having all sorts of nostalgia, but it’s mostly about last summer, when the babies were just born and tiny. We should take them to a restaurant soon.
That is really tough. I remember this stage well. My two would never stay in their buggy for long and i’d end up carrying one, my husband would carry the other and we’d take it in turns to push the buggy. On the plus side, you can always pile groceries into the buggy! :o)
Ha! Very helpful to have the stroller when you still have to carry both babies! We will have many new challenges in the future, I can see.
Your post makes me think that one of the hardest things about having twins would be the hassle involved in getting out of the house. With just Bear, it’s still fairly easy to go out and do stuff. That’s one of the scariest things for me about the idea of having a second child (there are many, actually)– that we’d suddenly become much less flexible and mobile.
And of course the babies make you more sympathetic! I’ve seen pictures of those munchkins, those are some cute kids, and there’s two of them. I would give them free vinegar.
Yeah, that has definitely been one of the most challenging things for me this whole year. I keep thinking when they can walk things will get a bit easier. But whatever challenges you have you deal with them–I’m sure it’s the same with having another kid.
What an ambitious day! Good for you guys! You must have been exhausted that night…
Thanks. It was a good weekend.
Ahhhh…your post is a nice segway into what I will be posting tonight Sparrow. It does get easier, take advantage of it now before they start moving of their own accord! 😉
It is constantly getting easier in some ways at the same time it gets harder in others! Hard to keep up with these twins. I will check out your new post. I’ve really enjoyed the series, even though you say it is for dads of multiples 🙂